Kayaking Snoqualmie, Middle Fork (The Club Stretch)

This year I was on the fence about pursuing my “whitewater kayaking passion”. Should I develop better skills and take it to the next level ( class III ), or should I just sell all my gear and call it quits.

My biggest concern is that whitewater paddling is not a solo sport; it is recommended that there be a three boat minimum on any trip. Unless you entirely dedicated to this sport from the start ( willing to spend every weekend on the river and hang out with “river rats” ), it’s tough for beginners to fit in. More experienced paddlers are not “super psyched” to waste their time on class II-II+ rivers, and if they do, ( from what I heard ) they treat newbies as “free shuttle”. At the same time, you don’t really want to go paddling with somebody who has the same amount of experience ( or less ), and not familiar with a river.